Self-righting guide-post.



M. A. STAFFORD.

SELF RIGHUNGYGUIDE POST. APPLICATION FILED Aug-26. 1915.

' Patented Jun@ 5,1917.

wz'fvesses.

Mlamn A, STAFFORD. oF HAEvARnjiLLINois. i

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26, 19.115.' Serial N-o. 47,402.

vlai'v that thv following isha l'lill. vlvai. .and

a' u'iiidv post wlii-rh shall hv poi'ilahlv so .that ,it ii'iay hvplavvd at au); point. in a roadway, 20 for vxnniplv. withoiitthvnviiossity` ol dig!- giiigwil'i thv roadwaito install it. and whichshall hv aii'toiiiativaltviivtiiriiahlv to uprightV position iii vasi,it `Should hv,l sti-u vk and othvr ohjiivt"whvn passing' it.

adaptvd vithvi l'oi'da v .iisv oi' l'oi' night usioi'. foi' `hoth aiidis shown livi'viinas will pi-vs'vntlif appvai'. pi'o\'idvd with a Hag orliliv signal loi' da asvt with a lanipigii'al l'oi' night iisv, and\\'itlihotli.i1ay and night signal. i i

llvt'vri'ing now lo t'hv drau'ings:

i"ig'. isiryi'ivw. showing. a top plan of thai-)ont shown iii Fig. l.' i

Fig. `l 'is a pvispvi'tirv i'ivv. of the post'J as il appvai'hl whvnlciiovlivd oi'iollvdoiit; ofits iioi'nial position.

Fig. 5 is a- )ai-tial vont'i'al voitival siivtzion on ali viilai'govavala oftl'iv, iippvr vnd of tho polv. Y Fig. t3 is an vliii'ationIshowinini iiiodif-iod forni of thv ii'ppvi vnd ol' thv polv.

l"i T is a piil'spvvtivo vivw showingi one iiivaiial ol applying a glohvto tiliv. polo.

Fig:` 8 is a ivi-tival vviitral svvtioii showing "anothoi invaiis o'l"applying a glohii Lo thvl polo. l

liili-.i'i-iiig'now to thv dra winrs :-thii post voinpi'isvh` au uprightsha l't; which'is the post; propvi' and a pvdvstal that'. provides thebas'e draw hlovk Vf'. hvai'ing airaiiiat thvlhotltoni ol' i nslioiildviril' pi-oviilvd h i' vnlai'iriii'gir this silrhvt ia attai'hvdto -thv hottoiii iiid ol'ftho 85 pi'v-lvi'ahliv in thv loifin `olI aVhall. flag polv i' is svviii'vd in thv top ol' Iaaid hall in 90 wirt-.syniay pass out through :i Saiitalili'i iipvi'-` 100 hv -voniplvtvlytiii'nvd oi'vi' to thv. dottvd position i/thv pvdviital vorhin;r onitsi'oiiiidvd sidi-s thi-oo ifli thuaaid positions as vluiii'ly llii.

thu post is iovlivri, will aiito'iiialiffally irntiii'n tho post; toupright posibilita that is lo tion` 75 j' indivatva -tlivloiiiritiidinid inisiiagrvY i'atvd iii thv diai'viiigii.- '.lhi weightof thv, pvdostal, no niattvninto what position 110 Say, to the positionshown in full lines in Flg. 3. If the pedestal is struck in such manneras to impart a-spinning movement to it, it will roll upon the edge ofits base, as for example, in the direction of the dotted line z shownconnecting the two views in Figs. 2 and 4, and will finally, after itsspinning momentum has been spent, right itself on its base as shown inFig. 3.

Instead of a. head such as that shown in detail in Figsfl and 5 with thecross open- Aings y, a solid head f" such as that shownin Fig. G may beused. Such a head is designed only .for day use and is provided simplywith the flag rod a for signaling purposes.

In Fig. 7 I have shown' a. form of head more particularly intended for.use at night,-

ivhere a more or less brilliant or colored light is desired. 'In saidfigure j indicates aglobe fixed to the top of the shaft Z) by means of ametallic collar m. Said globe is .intended to inelose an electric bulbvor other lamp and may be colored or otherwise, as desired. a

l: indicates an equatorial ring of larger diameter than the diameter ofthe globe, placed about the globe for protecting it and secured 'to thetop of the shaft b by means of bracket arms l.

In Fig. 8 I have shown still another head4 with a cylindrical sleeve'for attachment to the top of the shaft. i The metallic globe isprovided on its Side arranged at 90 from each other with lenses 0- towhich the light of a lamp, (electric or otherwise contained within theglobe, not'shown), is intended to pass. Afilag rode is shown attached tothe top of this globe,'said fiag rod in'this case being shown made oftubular metal. The shell-7L has on its bottom side openings p, which,together with the tubular flag mdp e', provide for the ventilation ofthe shell, making i-t possible to use an oil lamp,

" as in thefcase of signals for railroads.

. The many forms. inwhich my invention may be embodied will be apparentfrom the foregoing examples,

I claim as my invention 1. A portable self-righting guide post conprising a weighted pedestal and an upright shaft, said'lpedestal havinga flat base upon which it normally vrests and having upwardly andoutwardly curved sides, said pedestal also having an u1u-ight axialopening which is larger in diameter in the vicinity of said flat base toprovide an annular shoulder in said opening, said upright shaft havingone end arranged within said opening and terminating short of theannular shoulder therein, said post having a signaling which is largerin diameter in the vi- ,glnity' of said base to provide an annular soulder in said opening, said upright shaft being a hollow shaft andbeing reduced in diameter at one end to provide a shoulder which engagesupon the top of said pedestal, the reduced end of said shaft beingarranged within the opening'in said pedestal and terminating short ofthe annular shoulder therein, said post having a signal means atitsopposite end, and an apertured collar Aseated againstvthe shoulder insaid opening and bolts extending through said collar and having screwthreaded connection with the bottom end of sa-id post.

In testimony that I elaim the foregoing as my inventionI affix mysignature in the presenceo '.tivo Witnesses, this 20th day of 'August',D. 1915.

